Bound

Adventure - Fantasy

Jaune Arc

Summoned to Beacon for the talents his family line possess, Jaune struggles to complete the task set before him; and to survive the trials of a school not made for non-combatants.

/==/

Glynda Goodwitch the authoritarian deputy headmistress of Beacon, waited at the bullhead landing pads. Her arms crossed over her ample chest. She wasn't sold on Headmaster Ozpin's latest gambit, even less so for the family he was reaching out to. She had no faith in their archaic and esoteric practices. She felt their beliefs were pure fantasy; but the Headmaster had chosen a path to follow, and like always it was up to her to see it happen. So here she was waiting for the arrival of a special guest. A guest they were forced to make multiple convoluted arrangements to justify his attendance.

She took a calming breath as the bullhead landed, and watched with her sharp green eyes as the newest batch of Beacon hopefuls flowed forth. She spotted her target, as he raced to the nearest trash bin and vomited. He didn't look like much, in fact his appearance was as far from the image she had of someone so highly recommended by the Arc family. Dressed in a grey hoodie, denim vest, torn jeans, and grubby sneakers; he looked like he belonged at a civilian high school instead of a huntsman academy. The book hanging on his left side via an over the shoulder silvery chain, and the slightly ornate knife sheathed on the small of his back; did set him off from the normal milling hopefuls.

Letting her arms drop to her sides, she moved towards the figure of the young lanky man as he straighten himself up, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Those who were milling about moved out of her path, as she closed on the object of her focus. Once she was almost with in arms reach did she greet him.

"Mr. Arc, please allow me to welcome you to Beacon. The Headmaster would like to see you," a set of dark blues eyes looked at her from under the hem of his hood. "if you feel up to it, considering."

"Motion sickness." he informed the tall woman as he wiped his mouth a second time, revealing that each finger on his right hand was fitted with a black slightly curved finger tip claw nail ring; each appeared to be close to three inches long. "Give me a minute, please."

"Of course. I am Professor Glynda Goodwitch, by the way."

"Pleasure to meet you Professor. I'm Jaune Arc." he responded to her introduction with his own, as he took a couple more deep breaths. "I think I'm good."

"Then please follow me."

The walk through the hallways of Beacon was done completed in silence, or at least without spoken words. The clack of Glynda's heels echoed off the tiled floor as she lead the way. The click of Jaune's nail rings tapping against the chain securing the book to his side the only indication Glynda had that he was following her. The trip took about fifteen minutes and soon the mismatched pair, were riding the elevator up. The doors slid open upon the sounding of a ding. Glynda stepped out first leading the hooded Jaune Arc into the expansive room that served as the Headmaster's office.

Jaune stopped part way into the room, and let his eyes take in the sight of the massive gears, and his ears to absorb the constant ticking that filled the background. Moving his eyes about, he centred his field of vision on the silver haired, bespectacled and green suited man standing behind the massive desk. The man smiled warmly, but Jaune didn't believe it. The feeling just didn't touch the man's brown eyes. Jaune's mother had warned him to be cautious around the man before him. He was like so many others, a non-believer. Yet he had requested the aid of the Arc family.

"Mr. Arc, welcome to Beacon."

"Thank you, for allowing me to visit your esteemed institution." Jaune countered as he reached up and pulled his hood back revealing his white streaked golden blond hair, and the intricate tattoo that surrounded his left eye. "You requested my family's assistance. If it is not too much trouble I would like to see the patient."

"Of course. Of Course." Ozpin indicated the seat before him. "Shall we discuss..."

"You requested the skills of the Arcs, so the situation is more critical than your mundane resources can handle. Please with all due respect. Discussions can wait. I need to see the patient."

"In due time, Mr. Arc. There are some issues we need to discuss, foremost being your cover while staying here at Beacon."

"I'm here to treat someone. There is no need for any subterfuge. Take me to the patient."

"I disagree Mr. Arc. There are definite, and pressing matters that we need to go over. We pulled many strings to cover the true intention for your visit. We need to see those facades remain intact, until your assignment is complete. So please." Ozpin once again indicated the chair before him, as he himself took his own seat behind the desk. "There are things at play that I can not openly speak about at this time. So please bear with me."

"My mother hinted that there was more to this request of yours than you were telling us."

"There is; and it is for your safety; that the less you know about some aspects the better. However you will have full disclosure in regards to the patient; that is a promise." Ozpin leaned forward, clasping his hands before him on his desk. "You may be required to be here at Beacon for an extended period of time, so arrangements will need to be made to explain your reason for attendance."

"I am not sold on this agreement. Your hokey religious beliefs are pure fantasy. This is a mistake, you can't help us anymore than a beowulf can be a house pet." Glynda snapped, as she cut into the conversation between Ozpin and Jaune. "This is a mistake, and you should just leave."

"Glynda!" admonished Ozpin.

"Let her say her piece Headmaster, " Jaune countered, his nail rings clicking against each other. "Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Even if that opinion is heresy. "

"Hersey?" Glynda stuttered, "It's you and yours that wallow in delusion. The grimm are a blessing, a gift from the Brother of Darkness? Seriously? What next? Are you going to tell me the Brother of Light created all life?"

"He did. We are his creation, yet we are weak. It is through the trials brought forth by the Dark One that human and faunus will truly gain the right to once again bask in their glory." Jaune responded with narrowed eyes and an even tone.

"The grimm are nothing but a plague, causing mindless destruction and death." Glynda snapped, "What do you say to all those who have lost loved ones to those monsters?"

"Death is not the end. It is just the doorway to the next stage of our immortal existence."

"How can you ev..."

"Glynda, please." Ozpin cut in. "As enlightening as this discussion could be, we need to finish our discussions."

"With all due respect Headmaster. There is nothing currently to discuss." Jaune moved his focus from Glynda to Ozpin, "I am here at your request. So it would be a benefit to allow me to see the patient, and only after I assess the scale of what you are asking of my family, can we discuss options."

"There is a benefit to making some decisions on your stay here at Beacon."

"Those can be made, after I gauge if I can be of actual assistance. Until then such decisions are, moot."

"I see. Well then I guess we should make a little trip." Ozpin responded as he stood up from his seat. "Please follow me."

/=/

Jaune gasped in horror at the sight that greeted him. Before him in the midst of a pretty much bare room was a young woman in a capsule draped in tubes and wires. Beside it an identical contraption sat empty. Pushing past Ozpin and Glynda he rushed across the expansive room, and straight to the occupied contraption. He splayed his right hand over the glass as he peered inside to the dark skinned unconscious beauty with in. His claw rings tapping against the glass.

"What is this blasphemy?" he hissed, as he turned his head to face the approaching Glynda and Ozpin.

"This is what we needed to do to stabilize Amber's condition."

"Why is she not in a hospital? What was done to her?"

"She is in too vulnerable a state; to be at such a facility." Ozpin replied with a defeated tone. "All we know for certain is; that she was attacked, she was scarred, fell into a coma, and her aura wont recover. But we are at a loss to as the method of attack, or the exact cause of her injuries."

"You think something or someone has tampered with her soul." Jaune stated as he returned his focus to Amber with in her glass and metal prison. "That's why you reached out to my family."

"Very true." Ozpin replied, "While it is not openly known, the Arc's do have a unique skills. Skills I'm hopeful you can bring to bear on this case."

Jaune snorted, as he pushed back from the capsule. Without saying another word he held up the first finger of his left hand. Using the nail claw ring on the first finger of his right hand he dug into the flesh of his exposed digit. Blood welled up, and began to spill along the sides of the now injured finger. Ozpin and Glynda watched with a growing sense of unease and disgust; as Jaune brought the blood coated appendage to his face. They watched as without hesitation Jaune drew a bloody circle around his tatttoed left eye while his lips moved forming mumbled and unintelligible words. He growled and flinched as the symbol on his face flared with light. The once deep blue eye growing pale a milky.

Ozpin in his many incarnations had spent more than a couple eons attempting to crush out the sometimes deadly practices that formed the spine of a Blood Ritualism. He of course only forced the practices into the shadows, by his actions. Throughout their entire line the Arc family had been more than proficient; almost exceptional in the practice. Their fundamental beliefs in regard to the Brother of Darkness and the elevated purpose of grimm; being the foundation. So right here before him and his Deputy Headmistress, he was witnessing a small fragment of a practice he wished had been wiped from the face of Remnant.

Closing his right eye, he focused all his attention through his nearly blind looking left. The base of the soul sight ritual had hurt like a bitch as his mother had tattooed it on his face. That however paled to the burning pain that invaded his eye and his head when he activated it. He would suffer painful headaches for several hours after the enchantment wore off. However for now, he was able to see and read that which the naked eye could not; and what he was witnessing was not inspiring him with any confidence in Amber's recovery.

"Her aura is being siphoned off." Jaune grunted, "It's a mere trickle, but it is enough that it is balanced against her natural regenerative abilities. It looks to be slowly growing in intensity. When that happens it will exceed that natural recovery, and when it does she will be completely drained."

"How long?" Ozpin questioned.

"A month, maybe more." was Jaune's response. "Maybe less."

"Can you help her?"

"I can try, but this is going to be more complicated and delicate than I feared." Jaune replied as he closed his left eye and opened his right, "I'm going to need several specific, and I mean specific reagents. Even then this may fail."

"What do you need?"

"Index." Jaune spoke in a commanding tone as he freed his tome from hanging at his side. Holding it in his right hand he traced a set of complicated symbols with his wounded finger. Smearing the dark leather and ornate silver cover with blood from his still weeping wound."I seek counsel."

Ozpin and Glynda watched as the book rose from from his hands to hover in the air before him at the perfect reading height. It opened of its own accord and pages began to rapidly flip as if moved by invisible hands. Jaune focused all his attention on the levitating tome, his clear eye scanning the pages. His head nodded and his lips moved as if he was partaking in an unheard conversation. When the pages ceased turning, the book tilted towards Jaune. Using his finger nail ring covered first finger he began to trace down the lines of text and images. He flipped the page and then flipped it back.

"Mr. Arc?"

"I'll need Mother's Nurture, and Essence of Purity." Jaune commented over his shoulder in answer to Ozpin's question. "4 pints and 1 pint."

"I don't understand? What are you asking for?" Glynda questioned."Headmaster?"

"I... Mr. Arc?"

"I need 4 pints of blood from an at present woman, or women with child, and 1 pint of the blood from a virgin." Jaune sighed as he explained the terms. " The sooner I take delivery of said reagents the better."

"That's disgusting." Glynda scoffed, " Do you think we are going to assist you in fulfilling some sick fetish? You are sadly mistaken if you do."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"Glynda please." Ozpin pleaded as Jaune turned form the tome to face the deputy Headmistress. "This is not the time or place."

"Let her speak. Let's hear what fallacies she harbours." Jaune snarled, "You should watch how you speak towards me, Professor. My presence was requested, I am of use. You currently are not."

"You and your whole family is sick. Your beliefs and this farce just show how far gone you are." Glynda snapped back.

"Sick?"

"Glynda. Jaune. Please this is not..."

"Sick, and twisted." Glynda scowled, her green eyes glaring at the young man standing before her.

"You want sick and twisted?" Jaune growled as he reached up and grabbed hold of his left sleeve, "I'll show you sick and twisted."

"Enough!" Ozpin shouted while slamming the end of his cane into the floor, leaving a spider web like pattern at the site of impact. The arguing pair both turned to face him. "Glynda regardless of your feelings about Mr. Arc's practices or faith... HE was invited by me, and you will show him the respect due to any guest on Beacon's grounds."

Glynda scowled, but bit her tongue and nodded.

"Jaune, if you would explain what it is you are trying to do, and why we should gather the items requested." Ozpin focused all his attention on the young man, "It would make us less hesitant to assist you."

"What I will be attempting is a ritual known as the Life Cradle."

"And that is?" asked Ozpin.

"I will be creating a magical circle, that once imbued with the nurturing properties contained in the blood of a soon to be mother; will boost Amber's natural healing abilities, while also shielding her from outside contaminants. It will cradle and nurture her life back from the brink at which she now resides." Jaune turned his attention from Ozpin and Glynda; to focus on the floating book. "Basically I will be fashioning an artificial womb."

"And how is that supposed to work?" Ozpin asked.

"Once I have finished inscribing the proper sigils, gyphs and runes; you will remove her from that technological monstrosity, and place her inside my construct; at which point I will activate the circle." Jaune turned the page, "If it works as I hope, the leeching will be severed; thereby letting her body and soul recover naturally,"

"And the other reagent?"

"I will use it to create a second smaller circle in the centre of the Cradle." Jaune flipped the page back.

"For?"

"Whatever has happened to her, has tainted her. There is a corruption eating away at her. It is what is allowing her soul to be leeched away. The second circle will combat that. It will filter out the poison, and boost the effects of the Cradle."

"And you feel this will work? This will save Amber?"

"I feel this is the best method I have to assist in her recovery." Jaune replied as he turned from his tome to look Ozpin directly in the eyes. "In the end it will be up to her. I can boost her chances, but I can not create a miracle. In the end it will be up to Amber if she recovers."

"So you're not doing anything more than what we are." Glynda stated.

"No, I am doing more." Jaune countered, "I'm at least going to give her a chance. All you are currently doing; is allowing her to rot slowly away."

"Okay, so is there anything else we need to gather for your to complete this ritual?" Ozpin asked, hoping to keep Glynda's opinions from coming out again.

"I need time." Jaune opened his left eye and took a few moments to take in the swirl of aura and energies that surrounded his audience. It was another benefit of the ritual. While it wouldn't let him divine answers, reason or motivations; it did allow him to see indications that things are being withheld. Glynda was clear. Her energies undiluted or marred. Ozpin however was another story. He was hiding something, many things. "At least a week to construct the circle. It has to be perfect, so I will need peace and solitude to make sure it is."

"I will provide you with the proper credentials to give you full access to this floor." Ozpin offered.

"Is there a chance we could move her to some place else? Possible a room with a wooden floor, and access to sunlight?"

"Why?"

"Wood is easier to work the proper images into, plus as it was once living it has innate and residual energies that can boost the effects I wish to create."

"And the sun?"

"It nourishes life, and would make for a strong catalyst to further empower the rituals I will be fashioning."

"I'm afraid that is out of the question. We can not risk moving her from the security of this location. She is too vulnerable. Whomever assaulted her my try to finish the job."

"I see." Jaune responded, "Would it be possible for a wooden floor to be constructed down here?"

"It could be arranged. How large?"

"Three metres by three metres would be sufficient."

"Gylnda?"

"I can arrange for it. Might take a couple of days to complete. I'm sure Peter or Bart could take care of the construction once the materials are delivered to the school grounds." she replied with a clipped tone.

Jaune knew she did not trust him, and he had no issue with it. Out of the four souls within the room, she by virtue of Jaune's spell was the single most trustworthy. Her energies revealing the fewest markings that signalled hidden thoughts, desires and motivations. Ozpin was a surrounded in a literal fortress of such indicators. Jaune made a mental note to be at his most vigilant; when dealing with the Headmaster directly.

"So if there is nothing else, shall we retire to my office to conclude our other discussions?"

/=/

It was late when Jaune entered the auditorium. After his discussions with the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress, he had stepped away and made a scroll call. If he was going to succeed in his assignment, he was going to need more than what he had brought with him. While Index was a font of information, and a treasure trove of lore; she did have some limits. Jaune had a suspicion he was going need need more assistance than he currently had access to. So he spoke with his mother. With in a couple of days a shipment of required items would arrive. Of course he couldn't get to asking for anything before relaying everything that had happened on his journey.

Then of course he needed to make time, for his devotions. It was a misconception of many that his family only honoured the Dark Brother. The Arcs and those that shared their beliefs also revered the Light Brother. So out of sight of anyone he offered his prayers to the brothers. Asking for guidance, strength, and protection. Once that task was settled, he re-entered the school. Stopping off in the locker area he put away Index, his knife and claw rings. He hadn't brought much else, having been under the assumption that he would retire to either a Beacon provided room, or Vale after his assessment had been completed.

Still in the clothes, he had been wearing all day he made his way to the wall, and after some searching found a space near the walls of the expansive room. Kneeling down, he pulled a piece of chalk from a loop inside his denim vest. There were a few questioning looks, as he set to work. After several minutes he put the chalk away, and pulled off his vest and hoodie. He rolled the vest up to make a pillow and draped the zippered hoodie over his torso as a makeshift blanket, making a concerted effort to keep the ritualistic markings on his forearms hidden. Wiggling and twisting his body on the cold floor he attempted to get comfortable.

He knew he should have come better prepared. He should have brought a change of clothes, and a bedroll. But he underestimated what he would be tasked with. He had convinced himself that it would be a simple request to complete and that he would be done quickly and back in Vale ensconced in a warm hotel room. That however was not his reality. He would make do. He was an Arc after all, and they never went back on their word. He had a task set before him, and he would see it through.

His head hurt, even as the soul sight neared the end of its duration. As he lay there trying to let sleep claim him; he glanced around the room. He could see the twisting and mingling energies of the other occupants; and scowled. Far too many, had blemishes clogging their energies. The marks could mean anything being hidden. Be it thoughts, motivations, or desires. The stories from his father played in his mind. Huntsmen and Huntresses were meant to be the pinnacle. The bulwark in which the humans and faunus could weather the trials the grimm represented. They were to be the vanguard in regaining the favour of the gods.

"If this is what passes for hopefuls..." Jaune sighed unwilling to finish his whispered comment.

Closing his eyes he attempted to allow his weariness to wash over him. He was still apprehensive about the task before him, and the subterfuge he was about to take part in. However he knew he was safe. It was doubtful those around him knew of his family or their beliefs; so there was little chance that anyone would try anything in the night. Though he had taken precautions, regardless. The wards he had inscribed around him, a minor work of reality warping; designed to make noticing him far less likely by anyone not actively searching for him.

/=/

This was not Jaune's day. Sleep had been fleeting, meaning he was severely tired when he finally rose to start his day. Then of course there was the lack of privacy making completion of his morning devotions basically impossible. That irked him. While he knew that missing one set of prayers was not the end of the world; it did throw him off routine. It wasn't only the outward expression of his faith, but also an exercise in focusing his mind for the day. Count in the altercation with the heiress and the champion? He wasn't sure about that one. He really couldn't be bothered to keep it straight either. He wasn't going to be at Beacon long enough to form any attachments, or at least he hoped that was to be the case. Yet like the other minor complications, having to deal one's elitist self entitlement, and the other's barely contained self pity; while just trying to get to his personal affects drained him further.

It snowballed from there. Being flung from the cliffs of Beacon, cemented Jaune's decision in not trusting the Headmaster. Facing his untimely death, Jaune had attempted to come up with a solution, any solution; but the fast approaching forest underlined the major weakness in his abilities. Rituals took time and preparation to construct. Now while he did have a couple tricks up his sleeves, literally, he had not foreseen this type of situation and therefore was woefully unprepared.

The javelin pinning him to a tree, and his subsequent partnering with Pyrrha, whom he thought was the champion from his earlier encounter was a bright spot. The bright part being, him specifically not ending up maimed or dying. Of course things went south from there. Having an argument with his now partner; defending his decision about not wanting his aura unlocked, piled on top of having to hike through the undergrowth, did not make the day any better. This whole scenario was not what he was accustomed to; he was well out of comfort zone.

Now he and his partner were running, and it was because their lives did depend on it. He chided himself as he stumbled. If his morning had followed his normal routine he would have clued into what the etchings and paintings at the mouth of the cave meant. But nope. He blindly, and arrogantly ignored not only his natural bodily responses to danger, but what his own education would have told him. The result was now him and Pyrrha running from a massive deathstalker. While the underbrush hampered them, it did not the hulking monster following them.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha shouted as he once again stumbled, and barely caught his balance keeping himself vertical. His chest burned, and heaved. He did not have the conditioning, nor stamina for such strenuous activities. He knew he was quickly reaching the end of what his body could do.

"We have to keep going!" Pyrrha cried as she moved to his side. She draped his right arm over her shoulder and used her considerably much more physical attributes to assist him in moving forward. "If we can find others... we'll... we'll be okay."

Jaune wanted to believe her. He really did, and despite their rocky start, he didn't want either of them to end up a victim of the fell beast that was pursuing them. As his body flagged, he turned to his true strengths. His mind and will. He had options, but his options required time, and with only Pyrrha to assist him... that was something they had in short supply. With Pyrrha almost completely carrying him, they burst from the undergrowth into a hard packed earthen clearing. A ruined remains of a probable temple before them.

/=/

Jaune was having a hell of time keep track of who was who, and whom was paired with whom. All that he was totally, set in stone certain of was that the gaggle of eight teens were in serious trouble. Jaune stayed back, trying his hardest to force his body to recover. Before his kneeling form the others lashed out at the deathstalker and the great nevermore that were harrying them. Jaune was of little use, he knew this. He was trained, but he wasn't educated in any form of combat. He couldn't even be counted as someone in a supporting role. His skills were all moot, in this deteriorating situation.

What he could do, required time. It required careful preparation. Things he did not have access to. He watched the seven try valiantly to drive off both the massive grimm, but it was a battle of attrition. One that the grimm were winning. Taking a steadying breath, he closed his eyes and focused his mind. There had to be something, and option he was over looking. His eyes snapped open. Of course, that was it. How could he have forgotten. Pulling back his right sleeve he exposed the intricate tattoo on his forearm. Reaching behind his back he drew out his ornate knife.

"Focus on the nevermore!" Jaune yelled as he raised the knife above his head. A single thought ran through his mind about how much this was going to hurt; as he reversed the motion and drove the blade in a downward arc, straight into and through his right forearm. The blackened metal blade bisecting the tattoo.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha was drawn from the fight at his intense scream of pain. Her eyes grew wide as she watched him fall to his knees, a knife blade jutting through his arm. Breaking from the fight she rushed to her partner's side. She was at a total loss as to why and what happened.

"Tell everyone to get back." Jaune groaned through grit teeth, as he used his left arm to brace his right out in front of him. His nail claw ring covered fingers twitched as blood; his blood rained on the hard packed ground.

Pyrrha slid to his side, dropping her weapons as she grabbed him by the shoulders. His eyes fluttered, and he weaved on his knees. The burning pain of his wound radiated up his arm. The sensation almost making him miss the finishing the ritual he just activated.

"Holy Apostle protect us!"

Pyrrha fell to her behind and skittered backwards as the blood enriched mud before Jaune erupted upwards. Without her support Jaune titled. His eyes drifting closed, as his body crumpled and his head impacted with the ground.

/=/

Pyrrha's scream of terror and revulsion caused the rest of the group to suddenly break away from their targets, and take a quick look behind them, and they scattered. A morass of writhing beetles flowed from before Jaune's limp form towards the deathstalker. Slowly it bulged upward and something born of nightmares rose. Coated in viscera, and dressed in nothing but a butcher's apron, heavy boots and blood stained elbow length gloves. The male figure lurched forward a massive butcher knife shaped blade dragging behind it.

"What the ..." Weiss shrieked as the twisted form moved past her and straight into the path of the charging deathstalker.

The great blackened metal pyramid like shape; that rested upon it's shoulders in place of a head turned to face the closing grimm. All around his feet red and black beetles skittered and crawled. They climbed up his legs only to fall away and scatter as he moved. The deathstalker screeched, but he uttered no sound. They watched as the muscles of his left shoulder and arm tensed. With a sudden lurch forward of his body, matched with a similar motion of his shoulder and arm, the massive grim caked blade arced up into the air.

The deathstalker fell apart as the honed edge of the horrifying man's weapon impacted the grimm's carapace. Severing the tail and cutting the aged grimm in two before thudding into the hard packed earth. The gathered teens watched in stunned and shocked silence as the silent monster's head tilted upwards and seemed to regard the wheeling form of the nevermore high over head.

As the others watched, Pyrrha forced herself to turn from the scene before her, and to the collapsed body of her partner. Blood was still freely flowing from the wound upon his arm. She knew just from sight that if something wasn't done soon, he would bleed out. Without any thought for any other option she pulled his torso off the ground and into her lap. Placing her hands upon his shoulders she closed her eyes and focused.

"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we..."

As Pyrrha acted to assist her partner, the others backed away from the monster that had risen from the ground. It had slain the elder deathstalker without much issue, and now just stood there watching as the nevermore circled high above. Their fear was palatable. Whoever or whatever he was, he was exponentially more powerful than all of them combined. Options ran through all of their heads, but one by one they all came to the same conclusion. If he turned upon them, they couldn't fight. They would have to run.

The pained shriek of the nevermore, followed by the thud of it's great body crashing to the ground, brought them all out of their thoughts. The great grimm had been grounded, one of its wings having been severed. They watched as the now weaponless man staggered forward, moving as if he was walking through ankle deep mud. The wounded monster flapped its still whole wing in a vain effort to get off the ground, and away from the man that was closing upon it.

They all wretched, with Blake, Weiss and Ruby dropping to their knees in an attempt to prevent them from vomiting. Right before their eyes the man had grabbed the nevermore by the neck. Lifting it from the ground as if it weighed nothing, he reached forward and grabbed it's chest. It screeched as if experiencing horrific pain as the man's hand twisted and then yanked backwards. Black ichor splattered the ground as the very skin was ripped off the fell beast.

It instantly began to disintegrate, and soon the man was standing there, his arm outstretched holding nothing. Slowly he turned, his pyramid shaped metallic head titling as if he was studying the small group of teens. After several long tense moments, he fell apart. Becoming a cascade of beetles, that quickly skittered away, vanishing into the underbrush.

/=/

Jaune awoke with a start. He snapped his head about taking in the rather plain room he was in. It took a few minutes for him to register that he was in a medical room of some type; and couple more moments to understand he wasn't alone in said room.

"It seems Mr. Arc, that in light of your recent performance during initiation; we have many more things to discuss." Ozpin commented before taking a sip from his customary mug.

/==/

So another weird story, and yes I used Pyramid Head, as a summon, though I do have a feeling that my description of him was less than adequate. This one is one of the ones that needs more work. This is bay far less than a stellar first chapter. But it has done what I wanted from it. Which was to get me back on task to write again. I also feel like my little synopsis is not only too short, but does not really set the story's premise properly. In short this whole piece needs more work, including a new title.

On a side note. I have seen a few comments about me leaving so many works unfinished. This is something I wish to correct, but I'll need your help; if you please. I put up a poll, basically so I can find out from you my readers which story I should focus on to COMPLETE first. The write up for the poll explains the situation better.

I'm not fully satisfied with this offering, but in any case I do hope you did enjoy it.